Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2008

Maximize the Business Intelligence Tools in Microsoft SQL Server 2008

Manage, analyze, and distribute enterprise data with help from this expert resource. Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 covers the entire BI lifecycle and explains how to build robust data integration, reporting, and analysis solutions. Real-world examples illustrate all of the powerful BI capabilities of SQL Server 2008. This is your one-stop guide for transforming disparate data into actionable insight for users throughout your organization.

Understand the goals and benefits of business intelligence
Design and create relational data marts and OLAP cubes
Manage Analysis Services databases using BI Development Studio
Cleanse data and populate data marts with SQL Server Integration Services
Take advantage of the flexibility of the Unified Dimensional Model
Manipulate and analyze data using MDX scripts and queries
Use data mining to identify data patterns, correlations, and clustering
Develop and distribute interactive reports with SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services
Integrate business intelligence into enterprise applications using ADOMD.NET and the Report Viewer Control

Customer Reviews:

Great overview of a huge subject

By Ron Davis "USMC 67-71 OOHRAH!" - February 3, 2009

This author sets out to walk you through a huge subject, which is Microsoft's BI stack, in a single volume and does an admiral job of introducing the key concepts and components that a Microsoft implementation requires. It should be considered a starting point from which much is to be gained. Experienced BI developers will learn about the new features in SQL 2008. He also spends an entire chapter on Transformers or Microsoft SSIS explaining each of the components and going into detail where required. His explanation of the Unified Data Model is quite good.
The only thing I didn't like about this book was that you need the custom database that is free and is downloadable and that he refers to throughout the book. What's not to like about that? You cannot find any link on the publisher's site, the reference to the page in the book doesn't work and searching for the code on the publisher's site returns empty. I finally contacted customer service who sent me over to technical... read more

New to SQL Server BI? Start here

By Henry Bell - June 15, 2009

This book is a perfect choice for people who are generally familiar with relational databases and business intelligence concepts who want to learn how to build them in MS SQL Server. The book covers the database engine, SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS. The outline of the book starts with setting up the environment then proceeds thru getting the data, analyzing it, and finally reporting it. This is the right order to cover these topics. There is not enough here to make you an expert on any topic, but there is a good introduction to the many topics in the area. The book is well written, edited, and illustrated.

It includes complete coverage of "what SQL Server 2008 BI can do" but is short on "how to do it". There is a good mix of theory, examples, and practice with many "Learn-by-doing" exercises. These are very valuable. The book does include enough detail to answer most beginners' questions.

Great book for a newbie to SSIS and SSAS

By Harsh Sood "NJ Man" - May 4, 2009

Kudos to the author and his style of writing. He explains each and every step on SSIS and SSAS so eloquently that he makes the topic understanding a breeze. This is one of the very few books i have read that gets you hooked on to it and finish it as soon as possible with all the exploration you want to do in SSIS and SSAS.

In short - an excellent book for starters.